K-State Salina offers free uncrewed aircraft systems training to Kansas teachers

Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus offers its award-winning training on uncrewed aircraft systems, or UAS, at no cost to Kansas middle and high school teachers.

Attendees will experience an immersive, one-week program from June 12-16. After completing the program, attendees will be Federal Aviation Administration certified as commercial UAS pilots. Attendees will also receive a K-State microcredential, gain fundamental multirotor flight skills from hands-on flight instruction and understand all opportunities to implement a UAS curriculum at their respective schools.

The UAS training for teachers program, held in Salina, includes three days of in-person classroom training on UAS operations, FAA regulations, safety considerations and all topics related to the FAA's 14 CFR Part 107 written exam, which is taken on-site at the completion of the course. K-State Salina equips attendees with the knowledge needed to pass the FAA exam.

Attendees will also receive hands-on multirotor flight training over two days, a feature unavailable in online-only training. Special attention will be given to applying safety practices during flight and basic proficiency knowledge of uncrewed aerial vehicle flight operations.

Instruction is led by K-State Salina's nationally recognized UAS program. K-State Salina was the second institution in the country to offer a UAS degree and continues to be recognized as a leader in UAS education and applied research.

"We have been offering this program since 2016 at the inception of the FAA's regulations on commercial UAS operations. Our program is proven, and we are proud to be able to offer it as a strategic partnership with middle and high schools across the region," said Kurt J. Carraway, UAS executive director of K-State's Applied Aviation Research Center and UAS department head at K-State Salina. "This is an opportunity to deepen our teacher relationships, helping us educate secondary education students about exciting aviation career opportunities — a step toward creating a deeper aviation workforce in Kansas."

Attendees will also participate in a collaborative session with K-State Salina administration on developing UAS curriculum in their respective high schools. Teachers who are just beginning a UAS program, those who have already had success in offerings, or those considering developing a program are encouraged to attend.

"As part of our land-grant mission and strategic initiatives toward being a leading aerospace education institution, outreach to middle and high schools is a commitment we continue to deliver on," said Kirsten Zoller, executive director of strategic initiatives for K-State Salina. "This program, first offered in 2019, is an opportunity to expand UAS education across the state and excite the next generation of aviators. In addition to providing professional development to educators, we are excited to expand pathways for students to achieve Kansas State University academic credentials before their high school graduation."

Attendees will stay in the K-State Salina residence halls and dine on campus at no cost. All instruction, materials, flight training and FAA exam fee, are provided in kind by K-State. Registration for the course is now open. Spots are limited to the first 20 registrants and are expected to reach capacity quickly. Registration closes on May 25 or upon reaching program capacity. Please contact K-State Salina's Professional Education and Outreach at profed@k-state.edu with questions.